Brewberry's coffee shop on the corner of Fairview and Randolph in St. Paul also serves up some mighty tasty ice cream. It's probably not worth a drive across the metro, but if you live in the area and would like to break up the Grand Ole Creamery - Izzy's routine, it's worth a stop. The ice cream is from a place called Chocolate Shoppe in Madison (http://www.chocolateshoppeicecream.co...) . The coffee shop is a great, kid-friendly spot with cheery employees.

I stopped by Great Waters in downtown St. Paul on Friday evening for the first time in over a year. The food was decent (Townhall-ish...fairly unremarkable bar-menu options..yet slightly better than most bar food). All (4...or was it 5...???) cask-conditioned ales were quite tasty. The space is nice (airy, high ceilings, huge windows, not too loud).

Best brewpubs? Townhall and Barley John's. Both places consistently produce very, very good ale. The rooms and food are different, so I alternate based on my mood. If I HAD to choose one, I'd pick Townhall. Someone mentioned they found the prices a bit high there - I strongly disagree. Their regular price for most beers is around $3-4 per pint. During Happy Hour (late afternoon and 9-midnight), the beers are in the $2.50-3.50 per pint range. I'm sorry, but that is NOT overpriced for a finely crafted ale.

Thanks, Sam. I dashed straight to Harold's after work. Top notch fried chicken! Crispy, juicy, and not at all salty. The fried okra was also good (dusted in cornmeal...also not too salty). They were busy, so the wait was a little long (20-25 minutes), but I'd say it was well worth it. Also, the prices are great - 8-piece bucket and okra for $12. Note - Harold's is carry-out only.

I also noticed at least 3 other chicken or fish/chicken places on the Northside. I will post again if/when I have a chance to check them out.